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Technique: cast synthetic material
Dimensions: 170 cm (H), 130 cm (W), 130 cm (D)
Object: This animalistic sculpture with simplified, geometric shapes is made of a synthetic material. The upscaled figure of a bird was carved out of the cuboid form; his head is lowered so that the long, pointed beak reaches the base of the sculpture. Above the head, the shape turns into raised wings in the form of bevelled cones joined at the top. The multi-axis sculptural composition is rather static, with a delicate hint of dynamics added through curved lines and openings that give lightness to the massive form. The figure’s surface is smooth and bright; the shapes are clearly oblong. The piece was originally carved in wood and acquired by the National Museum in Gdańsk in 1974. In 1976, the wooden sculpture served as a model to create this version, cast in a synthetic material, which now forms part of the open-air sculpture gallery at the Oliwa Park. Bird was set on a 57 cm high granite plinth measuring 90 × 90 cm at the base. The statue is not signed.
Place: The sculpture is integrated into the natural landscape of the northern part of the Adam Mickiewicz Park in Oliwa. It forms part of the Gallery of Contemporary Gdańsk Sculpture from the collection of the National Museum in Gdańsk, created on the initiative of the Museum, the District Board of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers (ZPAP) and the City Council. The outdoor gallery, showcasing works by artists from different generations, was officially opened on 30 March 1976.
Information about the author:
Irena Zabrocka (b. 1936 in Toruń) studied at the Faculty of Sculpture of the State High School of Visual Arts (PWSSP) in Gdańsk – the present-day Academy of Fine Arts. She graduated with honours from Prof. Stanisław Horno-Popławski’s studio in 1961. Her works are held at the National Museum in Gdańsk and the Contemporary Sculpture Gallery in Białystok.
Condition of the object: awaiting renovation
Owner/guardian: The National Museum in Gdańsk
Author of the entry: Andrzej Zagrobelny
Sources:
Index card from the Research Catalogue of Artistic and Artistic/Historical Exhibits, inv. no. MNG/SW/40/RZ
Index card from the Research Catalogue of Artistic and Artistic/Historical Exhibits, inv. no. MNG/SW/70/RZ
Bibliography:
Galeria Współczesnej Rzeźby Gdańskiej w Parku Oliwskim, J.W. Bradtke, ed., The National Museum in Gdańsk (Gdańsk 1978) [2nd edition, Gdańsk 1989]
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